When the World’s Pain Becomes Your Own: Understanding Secondary Traumatic Stress

We are living in an era of constant exposure: to relentless news cycles, to images and stories of violence, to tragedies unfolding not just across the world but increasingly in our own neighborhoods. This kind of exposure doesn’t only make us fear for the people we love; it can leave us holding fear for strangers, for communities we don’t know personally, for a world that suddenly feels less predictable and less safe.

These days, we have a widespread understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: its symptoms, its causes, and its recommended treatments. But PTSD is no longer something that exists only in the aftermath of singular, personal tragedies. It’s everywhere now—woven quietly into daily life, social media, and personal conversations. And it’s taking a toll on people who were never meant to absorb this much. Bearing witness, especially over and over again, carries its own psychological weight.

What many people are experiencing right now has a name, and it’s not PTSD. It’s called Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)—sometimes called secondary PTSD or vicarious trauma—and it is very real.

What Is Secondary Traumatic Stress?

Secondary Traumatic Stress used to be something we mostly associated with first responders, healthcare workers, social workers, or caregivers. But now exposure isn’t limited to certain jobs—it’s everywhere. The news never stops. Social media drops graphic stories between memes and dinner photos, often without warning. You can open an app or walk into a room and suddenly be immersed in violence or catastrophe before your brain has time to brace.

As someone who lives with PTSD and works as a mental health advocate, I know that the signs and similarities are unmistakable.

Signs and Symptoms of Secondary Traumatic Stress

Sleeplessness. Nightmares. Panic attacks. Being easily startled, quicker to fear. A constant scanning for danger. Intrusive thoughts, avoidance and numbing, hyperarousal, irritability, guilt, hopelessness—physical pain too, like headaches or stomach issues. A deep, unsettled feeling that your body cannot integrate the sheer volume of horror it’s being asked to absorb while still showing up for life and having to forge ahead as though everything is normal.

Please know that you aren’t “weak” or “overreacting” when you experience intense feelings around indirect exposure to the traumatic experiences of others. Your body is responding exactly as a human nervous system does when it is overwhelmed. We weren’t designed to process this much suffering, this fast.

At the current scale and speed of exposure, it’s hard to find anyone who isn’t affected in some way.

Naming secondary trauma matters—not to pathologize empathy, but to protect it. Because if we don’t learn how to care for ourselves during this time, we burn out, shut down, or carry more than we can hold. It bleeds into other areas of our daily life, and the very lens with which we see and experience the world—and internalize it.

What Helps: Coping with Secondary Traumatic Stress

Support is a real starting point. Talking with a trauma-informed therapist can help you understand what’s happening and find ways to cope that don’t pile on more stress.

Boundaries around your exposure to all things aforementioned are essential, not optional. That might mean limiting how much traumatic content you consume, being intentional about when and how you engage with the news, or stepping back when your body says “enough”—even when the impulse to keep going is strong, making us feel that we are, somehow, keeping ourselves safe by compulsively scrolling.

Talking with friends, peers, or support groups who you know will get it can reduce the isolating feeling that often comes with secondary trauma. Mindfulness and creative outlets can also help release what words can’t—whether that’s through breathing exercises, journaling, art, music, or movement. The basics matter, too: adequate sleep, movement, and a healthy diet. These habits won’t fix everything, but they give your nervous system a fighting chance to regulate.

It’s important to note that this isn’t only an individual issue. Schools, workplaces, and organizations need to acknowledge the emotional cost of constant exposure and make room for education, debriefing, and realistic workloads.

Bearing witness changes us. It leaves marks. But with care, pacing, and support, it doesn’t have to break us. This isn’t about turning away from the world. It’s about learning how to stay human while living in it.

Secondary traumatic stress is real, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of indirect trauma exposure, our Resource Specialists can help you find qualified mental health professionals and support resources in your community. Contact us now for more information on this free service.

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About the Author: Helaina Hovitz Regal is a critically acclaimed journalist and author of the memoir After 9/11. With a portfolio spanning over 50 premier national outlets—including The New York Times, Forbes, and Glamour—she is a recognized authority on trauma recovery, anxiety, and adolescent resilience. A former editor for Upworthy and The Good News Network, Helaina specializes in synthesizing complex psychological topics into actionable human stories. A dedicated mental health advocate and speaker, Helaina is known for transforming difficult subjects into hopeful human stories. Follow her work on Muck Rack or LinkedIn.

Secondary traumatic stress is a condition that many people are only beginning to understand. Below are answers to some of the most common questions about STS, its symptoms, and how to get help.

Frequently Asked Questions About Secondary Traumatic Stress

What is secondary traumatic stress?

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is a condition in which a person develops trauma-like symptoms as a result of indirect exposure to others’ traumatic experiences — through the news, social media, personal conversations, or caregiving. Unlike PTSD, which typically follows a direct personal trauma, STS can develop simply from bearing witness to the suffering of others.

What are the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress?

Symptoms of STS closely mirror those of PTSD and can include sleeplessness, nightmares, panic attacks, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, irritability, guilt, hopelessness, and physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach issues. Many people also experience a persistent sense of dread or feeling that the world is no longer safe.

Who is at risk for secondary traumatic stress?

While STS was once associated primarily with first responders, healthcare workers, social workers, and caregivers, it now affects a much broader population. Anyone with regular exposure to traumatic content — through news media, social media, or personal relationships — can develop secondary traumatic stress.

How is secondary traumatic stress treated?

Working with a trauma-informed therapist is one of the most effective ways to address STS. Other helpful strategies include setting boundaries around media consumption, connecting with supportive peers or groups, practicing mindfulness, engaging in creative outlets, and maintaining basic self-care habits like sleep, movement, and nutrition.

Is secondary traumatic stress the same as vicarious trauma?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction. Secondary traumatic stress tends to refer to acute trauma-like symptoms that develop from indirect exposure, while vicarious trauma typically describes a deeper, cumulative shift in a person’s worldview and sense of meaning that builds over time. Both are real and deserve attention.

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